One of the principal causes of loss of life and property damage following the occurrence of an earthquake or other seismic disturbance is fire. Fires are often started by gas line failures. There is a need in the art for a safety valve that can be located in the gas line feeding a residence and that is capable of automatically shutting-off the gas flow in response to vibration above some predetermined limit, as may be caused by a severe earthquake.
Safety valves capable of stopping fluid flow which exceeds a predetermined valve, which may be caused by a pipe failure or substantial leak, will also be useful in environments in which a pipe carries precious or dangerous materials, such as oil or radioactive fluids.
There are also applications in which it would be desirable or necessary to shut-off fluid flow when the temperature or other ambient or local condition exceeds a predetermined valve.